Vacuum-creating device



Aug. 9; 1927.

F. V; WINTERS I VACUUM CREATING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheetl Filed May 4. 1926 Aug. 9 1927.

F. v. WINTERS VACUUM CREATING DEVICE Filed May 4. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet? Aug. 9 1927.

F. V. WINTERS VACUUM CREATING DEVICE I 4 SI eetS-Sheet 3 Filed May 4. 1926 g H I Z Q 91 fun II A a A m Z .\rT l 7% 8 n z .m W 0U 1 7% up w y g Z N i w 1 WM, H 1 a 'A g- I FQ-v, wlfl'rs VACUUM CREATING DEVICE Filed May 4. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 jaw Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,638,384 PATENT, OFFICE.

FREDERICK v. WINTERS, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

VACUUM-CREATIN G DEVICE.

' Application filed May 4, 1926. Serial No. 106,778.

preservation of foodstuffs, or the like, on an extremely large scale; and also for preserving such commodities as clothing, tobacco, and similar articles by the simple expedient of exhausting the air-content from the receptacle containing said articles and thus afford ample protectionagainst moths or other insects. lVhcn reduced to its simplest form my device may be used in the home for preserving cooked foods, from day to day, or may measurably take the place of the ordinary laborious and arduous efforts attending the present-day methods of preserving or canning in the home.

Therefore, the principal object of the invention is to provide a device ofthe above character wherein the air-content of a container or receptacle, containing goods of a perishable nature, will be reduced to sub stantially nullity by a single operationof the device and sealing of the container effected by the reversal of said operation.

Another object resides in the provision of a device wherein the assemblage is uniquely arranged to further the hereinbefore cited object.

A further object of the invention is to provide an elastic element which defines a proportionately largechamber to receive the air exhausted from the receptacle, upon the manipulation of certain operating parts.

A still further object resides in the provision of a shell member especially adapted to sustain the sides of said elastic member and guide the reciprocatory movement of a certain piston member. p I

A still further object is to provide a vacuum creating instrument characterized by structure of such nature as to minimize the opportunity of wear, breakage 0r derangement of its component parts, the composite structure thereof being arranged to obviate the possibility of leakage, and finally which may be manufactured and marketed at a low cost, thereby assuring its commercial success.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is better set forth, and it will. be understood that changes within the scope of the claims may be resorted to liberally without departing from the spirit'of the invention.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of the device embodying my invention, the inner portion of the operating means beingcontinued in dotted lines to show its co-relation to certain rollers operating within a pair of side slots.

Fig. 2 is another elevation of the invention takenat right angles to Fig. 1, and Viewed from the left of saidfigure.

Fig. 31s a top plan view of the instrument to further depict the receptacle-receiving portion. I Fig. 4 IS a horizontal transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of to illustrate the inter-relationship Fig. 0,

between the operating means and the movable parts of my invention.

l 1g. 0 is a vertical central sectional vlew taken 011 line 5-5 of Fig. 3. This view has been slightly enlarged and shows the parts in inoperative position; and

Fig. 6 is a view like unto Fig. 5, but here the reciprocatory air displacing member has completed one cycle in the creation of a space and is about to re-occupy said space and assume the position indicated in Fig. 5.

By way of a brief introduction, it may be pointed out at this time, that the fairly well understood principle of vacuum, as apto have been approached by my predecessors in this art, by the introduction of costly assemblages, some operating in the nature of hand-manipulated pumps, requiring strenuous efforts to operate same, and thus introducing a device not only repulsive in form, but hardly adapt-ed to'take the place of the ordinary home operations attending the canning of foodstuffs. Obviously, the principle of reducing the air-content within a vessel and sealing it by the preponderance of atmospheric pressure without, is too old and well-known that I mav claim myself as its discoverer, but I do claim a device embodying this principle wherein each and every component part has been developed to a point of highest efficiency, wherein all danger from leakage has been removed. ease of operation assured, and last, but not least, the process of canning relieved of its laborious efforts. A substantiation of the plied to the preservation of food, appears above will become apparent from the (e tailed disclosure about to follow.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, it will be noted that my device is shown mounted upon a base 10 and is supported by a frame 11 substantially lJ-shaped, inverted, the top bridging portion thereof being apertured at 12, for the purpose presently to be disclosed.

.Within said frame 11 are mounted other essential parts of my device, which, briefly, comprise an elastic covering 13. also F'GI'V ing as a sealing element, and a reeiprocatory air displacing member 14 for creating a space within the shell and for re-occupy ing said space created.

Upon the top surface of the bridging portion of said frame 11 is positioned a dish shaped member 16, which receives a receptacle 17 containino' foodstuffs, or the like, said receptacle fitting snugly within a cover or cap 18 for the purpose of reducing the air space therebetween, clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing. It will also be observed upon inspection of these figures that said cap 18 is provided with a s micircular extension 19, the edge thereof being faced to rest, evenly upon a g;. sl-:ct 2O titted snugly within said member 16. In order tofacilitate the placement of aid cap 18 within said member 16, I prefer to provide the upstanding flanged portion 21 thereof. with a gentle outward roll 22, and I. further develop said member 16 with a depending portion 23 which is inserted. within the aperture 12, the depression thus formed. serviuo' to position certain attaching parts below the bottom of the receptacle 1? and thus assure an even resting point for the same.

In order to reiine my device to the highest degree of simplicity and without sacrificing any essential feature. or detracting from its eiiiciency, I have devised a onepoint suspension construction which embodies a clamping member 24, the relatively large flattened head 25 thereof being disposed within the shell 15 and engaging a,

washer 26 for the purpose of binding the inturned flange 1? of said shell 15 and the inturned portion 13 of said elastic casing 13 against the inner surface of the frame 11, (see Fig. 6 the threaded shanlr portion 24: within the depending portion and here engaging a nut 27. Said Washer 26 also serves reinforcing means and I also consider it desirable to introduce the washer 28 within. the depending portion 23 for a similar purpose, and further. in order to'provide an air-tight connection I prefer to interpose a rubber gasket 29 between said frame and the member 16. Communication is established between the interior of the cap 18 and the casing 13 by means of a duct 30 arranged preferably axially of said clamping member 24. A glance at Figure Again, said member 1 1, is recessed. as at i 35, to receive the head 25 of said clamping unember 2 1 and is again recessed at 36 in order that the said head of said bolt 33 may be countersunk and out of engagement with said clamping member when said air displacing member rises to its highest point and re-occupies the space previously created. The portion of said bolt emerging into said recess 31 is also provided with a washer and nut 37 to prevent any possibility of the retraction of said bolt 33 durino the placement of the lower portion of said elastic covering 13 and its clamping means 32. I further deem it expedient to reinforce said clamping plate 32 with a disl: 38 and then engage the whole by a second nut 39.

At first blush it may seem that my details of construction are really superfluous, but this is far from the facts substantiated by practical experience and experimentr'ition and perhaps more so since we are deal inn; with a. most elusive fluid and everv pre nu tion must be taken to withstand the attacks of the atmosphere in its attemptsto break up the tremendous degree of vacuity obtained by my device. i i I The shell 15., hereinbefore referred to, fits the'periphery of said air displacing member without leaving any undue air space as shown in 5, said air-displacing memher being provided with a. shoulder Pl to provide a stop for said member in its upward movement by contacting with the lower edge of said-shell 15. i i

Considering now the means for operating the air displacing member 1411 have provided a yoke-member 10, the upwardly directed arms 411 and 42 thereofextending betweenthe inner sides of said frame 11 and being slightly spaced from the elastic covering 13, while the bridging portion of said yoke 1s aperturedsto receive the protruding end of said bolt 33; is reinforced by the member 43 and finally secured in position by means of the nut 44.

Thus, we now have the essential elements of the device arranged'in assembled relationship.

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In order to guide the reciprocator-y m'ovement of said member 14 1 provide said arms 41 and 12, of said yoke-member 40, with a pair each of anti-friction rollers 45, whichare securedthereto by means of screws 46, said rollers extending into the vertical slots -17 in the frame 11 and substantially eases the frictional resistance otherwise present when the operating yoke 48 is manipulated.-

v The aboveanentioned operating yoke 18, of my device comprises a handle portion 49 and a pair of arms 50, each of which fitting between the pairs of rollers on both sides of the frame, the extreme inner ends thereof being reduced and slipped between studs 51 and 52, arranged on each inner side wall of the frame. Their operation and function will be pointed out in the rsum about to follow. 7

In operating the device the handle 49 is raised to its highest point so that the airdisplacing member 1a will be in the position shown in Fig. 5.- In. view of the recessed arrangement hereinbefore described, said member 14- in part fits snugly against the washer 26 and though the drawings illustratively show a space between the member 1a and the clamping member 24L, it will, of course, be understood, that in actual practice little if any space will be provided. The receptacle containing the material to be preserved is "hen placed into the member 16, upon the 'asket 20, and the cap 18 applied thereover, he faced edge of said extension 19 resting upon said gasket evenly, as shown throughout the drawings. It will be understood that the receptacle 17 (not shown in detail), will have its cap covering the same provided with a proper air vent and valve as clescribed and claimed in my co-pending application. The operating handle 19, having its inner ends lodged between the studs 51 and 52, is now pushed downwardly, thus contacting the lower rollers 45 operating in said slots 47. The movable parts of the device now descend, said elastic covering 18 compensating by stretching, to cause the space distinctly shown in Fig. 6. WVhen this space is created the external atmosphere acts upon the top of said cover or cap 18 to an amount of pressure approximating one hundred and eighty-five pounds; this pressure upon the upper exposed parts forces said cap or cover down on said gasket 20, and seals the joint between the bottom thereof and the bottom of the member 16, so no air could possibly enter there. At the same time the elastic covering 13 has stretched to compensate for the distance the movable parts have travelled downwardly, and as will be noted, no air can possibly enter at any point covered by said elastic covering. We now have arrived at another important fact present in the said operation. WVhen the movable parts heretofore referred to are in the position shown in Fig. 6, whatsoever air was seat on the shoulder 1 1*,

originally in said receptacle or container 17 or surrounding the same, has escaped from said receptacle and entered into the'space' or spacesor created space, where it becomes substantially a nullity and there exists a partial vacuum approaching as near a perfect vacuum as consideration can determine. I WVhen the handle 49 is raised upwardly, the saidspace is again occupiedby saidair displacing member 14 and it is at that instant the air formerly in thecontainer and the space surrounding same, returns to its former density, and seals the said receptacle or container of the goods to be preserved. The cover or cap 18 may then be removed easily, the said receptacle removed, and an other placed in its stead, and the operation aforesaid repeated.

In placing the rubber or elastic covering 13, as I do, over the broad surface of the shell 15, and the movable parts inclosed therein, I obtain the stretching or compensation desired without undue strain on said elastic covering, and said stretching is equal ized at all points of its surface, and as said air displacing member ascends when the operating means 50 is raised, the beveled lower edge of said shell 15, will insert itself between the outer walls of'said air displacing member and said elastic covering, and it also should be noted that a quick raising of the operating means causes the air in the space created and when said space is being reduced, to mildly balloon said elastic, covering and thus permit the lower edge of the shell 15 to free and clear of said elastic covering. r

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent:

1. In a vacuum creating instrument, a supporting frame, a shell arranged within said frame, a reciprocatory member slidable within said shell, an elastic covering surrounding the sides of said shell, apertured means for clamping the upperportion of, said shell and covering to said frame, a yoke embracing the bottom of said reciprocatory member, means for securing said yoke to said member and securing the lower end of said cylinder to said member and means for operating said member.

' 2. In a vacuum creating instrument, a supporting frame, a shell arranged Within said frame, a reciprocatory member slidable with in said shell, an elastic covering secured to the top of said frame and to said reciprocatory member at its opposite end, a yoke member secured to said member and having its arms spaced from said covering and an operating yoke releasably connected to said arms. 7

3. In a vacuum creating instrument, a supin said shell, an elastic covering secured at one end to the top of said frame and to said reciprocatory member at its opposite end, a yoke member secured to the bottom of said reciprocatory member and having'its arms spaced from said covering and a releasable yoke operatively engaging said arms.

,4. In a vacuum creating instrument, a supporting frame having its top portion aper tured, a shell arranged Within said frame, a reciprocatory member slidable Within said shell, an elastic covering embracing the sides of said shell, apertured means for securing the upper ends of said covering and shell to said frame, a cover disposed above said apertured means, a yoke member secured to the bottom of said reciprocatory member and. securing the lower portion of said covering thereto and means operatively connected to said yoke for operating said member.

5. in a vacuum creating instrument, a supporting frame, a shell arranged Within said frame, a reciprocatory member slidable Within said shell, an elastic covering embracing the sides of said shell, apertured means for securing the upper ends of said covering and shell to said frame, a dish-shaped member arranged on the top of said frame, a cover for receiving a receptacle disposed above said apertured means, a yoke member secured to the bottom of said reciprocatory member and securing the lower portion of said covering thereto, said yoke member having its apertnred means for securing the upper ends o said covering and shell. to said frame, a dish-shaped member disposed in the aperture of said frame, a cover for receiving a receptacle disposed Within said disk and in communication With the interior of said covering, a yoke member secured to the bottom of said reciprocatory member and securing the lower port-ion of said covering thereto, said yoke member. having its arms spaced from said covering, anti-friction means carried by said arms and slidably arranged r-cithin the vertical slots in said frame and releasable means operativelv connected to said arms.

In testin'iony whereof I aflix my signature.

FREDERICK V. WINTERS. 

